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Epigenetic maternal effects on endogenous rhythms in precocial birds
Laureline Formanek1, Marie-Annick Richard-Yris, Cecilia Houdelier
1Université de Rennes 1 CNRS, UMR 6552 Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes Cedex, France.
Chronobiology International
|April 11, 2009
Summary
Mother quail significantly influence the development of their young's daily (circadian) and shorter (ultradian) activity rhythms. Maternal presence and rhythmic patterns epigenetically shape offspring's biological timing.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Developmental Biology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Vertebrate development is shaped by genetic and environmental factors.
- Maternal interactions are crucial during early development (ontogeny).
- Precocial birds, like Japanese quail, are mobile soon after hatching, but maternal care remains important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate non-genomic maternal effects on the development of endogenous rhythms in Japanese quail.
- To determine if maternal presence during brooding influences the expression of circadian and ultradian rhythms in young quail.
- To assess if the mother's own rhythmic phenotype affects the development of rhythms in her offspring.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of feeding activity rhythms in young quail reared with or without adoptive mothers.
- Comparison of young quail brooded by circadian-rhythmic (R) versus circadian-arrhythmic (A) adoptive mothers.
- Analysis of circadian and ultradian rhythmicity and clarity in both mothers and offspring.
Main Results:
- Quail exposed to maternal brooding showed a higher incidence of circadian and/or ultradian rhythms compared to non-brooded quail.
- Quail brooded by circadian-rhythmic mothers exhibited more pronounced and clearer circadian rhythmicity than those brooded by arrhythmic mothers.
- No significant differences in ultradian rhythmicity were observed between groups or between mother types.
Conclusions:
- Maternal presence during the brooding period positively influences the long-term expression of endogenous rhythms in young quail.
- The rhythmic phenotype of the mother bird is a significant factor in shaping the rhythmic phenotype of her offspring.
- Maternal care in precocial birds epigenetically modulates the ontogeny of endogenous biological rhythms in developing young.
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